As of last week, 110 countries in the United Nations have extended diplomatic recognition to the State of Palestine. All recognize Palestine as including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, essentially the borders as they existed prior to the June 1967 Six Day War. Nearly every country in Latin America, Asia, and Africa has recognized Palestinian statehood and there are indications that many European nations will soon follow suit. Which leaves the United States, yet again, on the wrong side of history. In fact, Washington has gone in completely the opposite direction, insisting that there cannot be any Palestinian state until negotiations are completed between the two parties involved, meaning that Israel shall have a veto on any such development and will postpone it until some time in the next century.

In fact, the United States is completely in lock step with Israel on the prospects for a Palestinian state. The White House and State Department have condemned every move to obtain independent recognition of statehood. The US position is summed up by House Resolution 1765, drafted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, "Supporting a negotiated solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and condemning unilateral measures to declare or recognize a Palestinian state, and for other purposes," which had 54 co-sponsors. It declares that "any attempt to establish Palestinian statehood outside the negotiating process will invoke the strongest congressional opposition" and condemns any attempt to "establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians." It urges the Palestinians to "cease all efforts at circumventing the negotiation process" to "resume direct negotiations with Israel immediately," and to "support the Obama Administration’s opposition to a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state."

And to make sure that the 110 countries who have signed on to the statehood agenda get the message, HR 1765 calls on the White House to "lead a diplomatic effort to persuade other nations to oppose a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state" and "affirm that the United States would deny recognition to any unilaterally declared Palestinian state and veto any resolution by the United Nations Security Council to establish or recognize a Palestinian state…" If it sounds a bit like George Bush’s famous dictum, "you are either with us or against us," it should.

Make no mistake, Israel does not want a Palestinian state because it would require the resolution of certain "core issues." These would include the actual sovereignty of a Palestinian nation, access to Jerusalem, fixing the borders, and the sharing of limited water resources, most which now go to feed the illegal Israeli settlements which Washington has officially condemned but done nothing about for forty years. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is content to let the entire negotiation process drag on until there is nothing to negotiate. Israel has already sliced up the West Bank with its Jewish only roads and settlements and will soon encircle East Jerusalem with housing developments being built on land illegally annexed. The only thing the Palestinians have going for them is their birth rate: they will soon constitute a majority in the pre-1947 mandate Palestine west of the Jordan River.

A settlement in the Middle East is strongly in the US national interest as the Israeli repression of the Palestinians has been a recruiting tool for militants worldwide, most of whom wind up blaming Washington. It is reasonable to assume that the Obama Administration would like to have the whole festering Israel-Palestine mess go away, but, like the review of options on Afghanistan, our man in the White House is only listening to one side of the argument, and that side as always only offers the Israeli perspective. According to Laura Rozen over at Politico, there are currently two task forces working with the White House and National Security Council on "options." But before anyone gets too excited by the unusual display of activity, it should be noted that the two groups are headed by Steven Hadley working with Sandy Berger and by Martin Indyk. Both groups are reporting to Dennis Ross, who recently went to Israel to "seek more clarity from Israeli leaders on their security requirements." Indyk and Ross are well known as Israel-firsters and Berger is best remembered for having stuffed classified documents from the National Archive into his trousers. Hadley, who worked for W, is best recalled for nothing in particular but he is along for the ride to show that the effort is bipartisan. Obama would love to have some kind of two state solution and the Ross-Indyk-Hadley-Bergers would sorely love to deliver one, but on Israel’s terms. Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren is reportedly part of the negotiating process, possibly the first time that an Ambassador of a foreign country has been allowed to sit in and influence the policy of the US relating to his own country, but why should anyone be surprised by that?

It is interesting to note that George Mitchell, the Administration’s designated rainmaker for Israel-Palestinian rapprochement, is nowhere in sight, leaving the task to those best equipped to appease Israel and its lobby. And what they are trying to do is calculate what the absolute minimum might be that the Palestinians can accept to label a state while leaving the largest part of the pie to the Israelis, together with absolute control over a client nation of helots that they can then abuse at will. That way it will look like there has been a two state solution, Obama will bask in glory long enough to get reelected and everyone that matters in Washington will be happy.

I know there are readers out there who must believe that there is actually a secret, underground State Department, possibly concealed somewhere in the Department of Agriculture, that is actually going around the world and doing what is best for America and its people. Alas, it is not true and what we are seeing is what we are getting. Consider how Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Pakistan last week to threaten its already shaky government into invading Waziristan to kill the militants who have been hiding there. Joe suggested that American soldiers might do the job if the Paks are not up to it. It is difficult to imagine what Biden thought to accomplish by his performance, but a good outcome from all the saber rattling is hard to imagine. Much like Hillary Clinton going around last week and calling on Arab countries to liberalize their political systems. Sure Hillary, just like the Palestinians did when they elected Hamas in a free and fair election and Washington and Tel Aviv decided that the result was not quite acceptable. What happens when the Muslim Brotherhood wins an election in Egypt? What will happen if parties unacceptable to Washington rise to the top in the current unrest in Lebanon and Tunisia? It would all amount to much ado about nothing except that the consequences are deadly serious with American soldiers and local folks dying in their thousands because the Clintons, Obamas, and Bushes find it hard to admit that they have made a mistake. Whether Obama or Palin is elected in 2012 almost seems irrelevant. Six more years of this and we will be finished as a nation, bankrupt and despised everywhere, our only legacy a network of seven hundred-plus military bases falling into ruin worldwide, meant to give us peace and prosperity but delivering on neither.

201203380730 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Foriginal.antiwar.com%2Fgiraldi%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fserving-up-palestine-one-slice-at-a-time%2FServing+Up+Palestine+One+Slice+at+a+Time2011-01-20+06%3A00%3A06Philip+Giraldihttp%3A%2F%2Foriginal.antiwar.com%2F%3Fp%3D2012033807 to “Serving Up Palestine One Slice at a Time”

The Israeli's are for piece. They want a piece of Lebanon, a piece of Syria, a piece of Iraq, a piece of Jordan, a piece of Egypt, on of course, all of Palistine. They want all this piece on the backs and blood of the American taxpayer,

In 48 Palestine was shared such:55%for Jews who numbered 600k and 45%for Palestinians who numbered 1600k.The myth tells that Israel accepted the share but in the end of the war "provoked" by Arabs ,Israel already held 80% from the land although she accepted 55%.In 67 Israel takes the rest of the land and then came negotiations which continues today and for ever.Now ,because the international community want to see a solution the Palestinian are pushed to negotiations in which they should show flexibility,to make a compromise.This is the reason that US of AIPAC insisting in negotiations that Palestinian to give up still 10%more from the 20% which remained from their land and such the settlement will remain intact.

"Six more years of this and we will be finished as a nation, bankrupt and despised everywhere, our only legacy a network of seven hundred-plus military bases falling into ruin worldwide, meant to give us peace and prosperity but delivering on neither." Amen to that.

Your article, Philip, is excellent but, alas, you are but another voice crying in the American wilderness. If the MSM in America could be broken up into small, independent units as they once were, there would be hope for America.

Before the 700+ Pentagon bases around the word fall into disrepair, the USA proper commons will have collapsed and disrepair will not describe the complete destruction of a country. The only building boom the USG/MIC, Mafia Industrial Complex, and its Pentagon protection racket of 'fund the Pentagon or die' is at those 700+ bases around the world.

FTA: "In fact, the United States is completely in lock step with Israel on the prospects for a Palestinian state. The White House and State Department have condemned every move to obtain independent recognition of statehood."

This should allay any lingering uncertainties that the United States isn't Israel's sock puppet. Until all private monies are taken out of all elections, our congress and with it our foreign policy will continue to go to the highest bidder. Sorry, American citizens, suck it up. You're the biggest losers.

Well, things can continue in this manner because there are precedents. Take Macedonia for example which has an imposed ultimatum to resolve the "name issue" with Greece or … Even though more than half of the world's countries recognize it under its constitutional name as republic of Macedonia.

And, why not a unilateral declaration of independence for Palestine? If Kosovo can do it, so can Palestine. Ah, but I forget that all is a means to an end, and what goes for the one does not apply for the other; US interests are at stake.

All of the above seems true and there is no solution after 60+ yrs. In as much as the entire future of the US is in the hands of the Israeli bloc now, the only way to survive is to offer to emigrate All the Israelis to America (gasp). There are over 12 Million Jews in the US now and and only 5.6 million Jews (with their multitalents and higher education) in Israel now. We could absorb them much easier than we can 20 Million Illegal Latinos, and the Moslems could fight it out among themselves. hopefuly without Amereican monies and lives. Rufus

"By the way, back in 1947/1948 Jews unilaterally declared the state of Israel, didn't they?"

No, they didn't — they declared the state of Israel pursuant to a multi-lateral UN partition plan which they were willing to accept and which the "Palestinian leaders" (read: Puppets of other Arab states) weren't.

Plus, don't forget we're about to recognize the independence of southern Sudan. If the people in the north of Sudan owned congress, despite their brutal treatment of those in the south, recognition of the south's independence would not only be withheld, it would be actively opposed.

The hypocrisy of The United States and its government is now clear to everyone except most Americans.

The American people have been instilled with mindlessness by the USG, businesses and pretend christians which institutionalizes mindlessness thereby legitimizing it. The media in the USA, especially television, recites mindlessness propaganda, the inability to discern thought from facts, to an American populations whom don't know what their best interests are but being mindlessness, let's politicians, phony preachers and business interests tell them what their best interest are. The likelihood of Americans rising up for their own best interest, when they don't even know what it is, is remote and next to impossible. Corruption has become so endemic in this country that it commands the energy of the corrupted politicians to keep corruption for their self interest.

The USG/MIC, Mafia Industrial Complex, uses the methods the Zionists use against the Palestinians, which is condemned and reviled worldwide, and applies it to the the USG/MIC empire expecting a different result than the condemnation the Zionists have brought on themselves. It's like reading a book written by an insane person, telling the readers to do the same insanity and expecting to end up sane. It's also Co-dependence, a mental, emotional and spiritual illness.

An idea that makes a lot of sense, for America if not for Zionism.
Actually, I have for some time formulated an even more radical proposal:
Let the Jews select a region of the United States they would like to have for their own.
The obvious choice would be the greater New York City metropolitan area,
defined pretty much as they please.
If they want two unconnected regions,
say one around NYC and one in Florida (they seem to like the sun!),
that's all right too.
Then just give it to them.
Let them run it however they please.
I'm sure appropriate compensation could be arranged for those gentiles
who want to move out.
I'm also sure everyone would rejoice at ending this idiotic Zionist/Muslim war.
What to call it? How about "New Israel"?

wait a second,year,moment,day thats not perceptable to anything besides the zionistic calculas or aka aftermath presuppossed,death is peace in a queer way to the pitiful,and that is either or Frank/ensEEn or any other monsterous aberration that escaped and then returned to the scene of the crime ,MASTER,ngr,fuq, a fraudulent credential to the bastaqrds of the zionistic world,,,in a pig pit ,4 sure

who was it who said, ''the isrealis, are not afraid of anti-semitism, their afraid of the truth''? … bibi calls settlement contruction ''a marginal issue''… the man is 100% right, the nerve on the pals. looking for trouble over nonsense….sec. clinton says, ''if iran gets a nuclear weapon, won't you believe you have to have one too? iran looking to introduce a nuclear weapon in such a beautiful peaceful bedroom community… why before you know it, upstarts like pakistan, russia, india, china and isreal will think that they have to have one too… isreal gave itself a clean bill of health regarding the nine floatila deaths…the commandos were attacked with clubs, iron rods, chains, slingshots [i love that one], ballbearing, and also about 200 knives… i can't beleive they missed the 400 chops sticks!

Is the picture really that bleak? Perhaps America just wants the credit for fixing it, palastine can supplicate washington in some manner, and obama gets to look like he's being tough on the Israeli Government?

these eruptions in tunisia, egypt,etc. should have been forseen and could have easily been prevented… coming events casts there shadow beforehand… if isreal and us the u.s.a. contnue to play hardball with the hapless pals., who are negotiating from weakness with two pwerfull bullies, it's only a question of time before the hopeless pals. turn to violence because they are sick and tired of being bullshited… then we will be screaming terroriists…

more food for thought from ''joe 3 pack'' carl…economic package for pals…isrealis said ''the measure had been under discussion for months''…GOD does indeed work in mysterious ways… i got a hunch the hapless pals. no longer have to give away the store…